Today we’d like to introduce you to Yukari Yokomizo.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Yukari. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Japan and came to Los Angeles when I was six years old. Didn’t speak English at all. I picked it up pretty quickly within the first year. Ever since I was a kid I was all about the creative. My mom is an artist so she totally supported that. I was into dance, painting, beading and making jewelry and also I had a knack of picking up instruments and teaching myself how to play. By the time I was 12, within two weeks I was playing Kenny G songs on the saxophone. In high school, I started doing makeup and hair for a few friends for dances and then a few more, eventually I barely had time to get ready myself. I didn’t always know I wanted to be a hairstylist. I liked doing too many things so I had to narrow it down. I wanted to help people, so I thought about psychology, but I also knew I had to work with my hands and create. So doing hair was a perfect fit. I went to Vidal Sassoon for my cosmetology school which is the best education for working with natural textures and getting the best foundation for cutting and coloring. After I graduated and got my license, I worked in Beverly Hills for seven years. Then I moved to a salon in West Hollywood for eight years and finally about 2 years ago I started a private studio with my business partner and good friend Shadia Rezk and we created Maison RY. Being my own boss is so liberating but it is hard work. I’m super happy with my spontaneous unplanned leap to open my own business.
In my career, I’ve been pretty lucky to have acquired a few famous clients all by myself, without an agent. Word of mouth goes a long way. I don’t have a Yelp page. I just have Facebook and Instagram and my booking website. I guess I’m kind of old school. I don’t have a computer. This is shocking to most people. When I do set work and have to send out invoices, I do it from my phone. There’s an app for everything these days – scanners, fax machines and all. During the shut down, I had some more time to think since I couldn’t work at all. I started venturing out on my other creative outlets. I have an Etsy page for all the jewelry I’ve been making and I want to learn how to start casting metal and make my own pendants, rings and bracelets. It’s a fun hobby/business and I don’t have to leave my house. The pandemic really put things in perspective.
My other hobby is that I play drums. It used to be my dream when I was younger that I would be a “rock star” and I play shows if someone needs a drummer.
Getting back to work after the shut down was kind of intimidating. My space is extremely safe since it’s a small two-person studio – just me and my client. Shadia and I alternate days so we can be alone with our clients and be safer. It’s crazy how much money we had to spend to get all this new PPE and additional things I wanted to get to be even more safe like a sterilizing cabinet and an air purifier, disposable seat covers and capes, etc. I feel bad about the waste we are creating with all this disposable stuff for the care of our health, hopefully we can consider the environment as well.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were struggles! The road to success is never easy and you have to do some things that are uncomfortable to make things happen. When I was starting my own business, it was hard to figure out all the licensing and the permits I had to get to even open legally. We also had to custom make all the furniture and stuff to fit our small studio space perfectly and make it seamless. For a stylist, moving salons is hard. You risk losing some clients along the way and that’s just how it goes. Fortunately, I only moved up the street and my clients didn’t have a problem following me! The biggest struggle I didn’t see coming is when the pandemic hit. It was so scary and the lack of information out there about the virus, to this day, is scary.
There are so many people out there refusing to wear masks and think this virus isn’t real and that really gets my blood boiling since I know people that had it and passed away from it. Wearing a mask is normal in my culture. You wear one if you’re sick so you don’t get others sick, out of consideration. Or you wear one because it’s cold season and you don’t want to get sick. It’s really not difficult and you can make it fashionable and fun, as well as safe. Financially, it was a difficult time until they came out with the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which I had to wait until May to receive. I also never got my stimulus check even though I pay taxes. I did have some amazing clients that bought gift certificates for future services, which was so helpful at the start of the pandemic!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a hairstylist, I specialize in cutting and coloring. I also love working on curly hair and shaping the curls. I am known for cuts and colors since I’m very versatile. Consultation is key. I need to get to know the client and her routine and think about every little thing to make it easier for the client to maintain their hair. I don’t lie or upsell people to make more money. I’m all about being straightforward and honest. I’ve been fortunate enough to work on some celebs but I hate to name drop since it’s tacky.
I’m most proud of myself for starting my own business after more than 15 years in the industry. It’s a scary and exciting thing to take that leap. We’ve been open since the summer of 2018. Shadia and I are probably the most non-intimidating, honest, real people, and our clients appreciate that.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As a kid, I was super hyper. My poor mother, haha! I was an artist’s child for sure. My mom put me in ballet as soon as I could walk and made me take piano lessons as soon as I could sit up straight. Once my mom got me some beads and I started making jewelry or figurines out of beads, I was able to focus better. I was pretty good at it. I’m super goofy and love to laugh and make jokes all the time. Even when it’s uncomfortable.
I always had a knack for giving advice. Even when I was 13 and I would go to coffee shops and read a book all alone and pretend I was an adult, and people from all ages and all walks of life would come to sit and talk to me. I don’t know how a 13 year old could give an adult good advice but that’s what I did. I have no idea why anyone would come spill their guts to a 13 year old but I guess that’s my gift!
Contact Info:
- Address: Yukari at Maison RY
8000 Sunset Blvd B-200
Los Angeles CA 90046 - Website: Yukariyokomizo.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @yukarirocks and my jewelry page @yukaridesignstudio
- Facebook: @yukarirocks
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